Door



July 9, 1935- H. M. VETTERLEIN DOOR Filed June 18, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 2Inveniar:

3 a 19350 H. M. VETTERLEIN DOOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jx me 18, 1932Patented July 9, 1935 PATENT OFFICE noon Henry M. Vetterlein,Philadelphia, Pa., assignor of one-half to Henry Penn Burke, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application June 18, 1932, Serial No. 617,990 10 Claims. (01. rs9

This invention relates to improvements. in shutters or doors of thegeneral character shown and described in my previous Letters Patent Nos.1,636,200 and 1,743,696. g

Shutters or doors of this general character comprise a plurality ofverticallymovable'panel plates constructedto bes-upported by one anotherand'to be raised and lowered into open and closed positions;respectively, when one of--the plates is raisedand lowered, incombination with means operable to raise'and lower the plates and toguide them during the raising and lowering thereof. :When the saidplates are raised by the said means the plates successively add theirweight thereto, and when the plates are lowered by the said means it ;isrelieved of the weight of said plates successively.

An important object of my present invention is to provide a novel andadvantageous means for counterbalancing the weight of said plates withrespectto the means for raising and'l'owering them whereby thevariations in the weight of the plates supported by such means will becompensated for by the "counterbalancing means so that theyplatesactually supported by the raising and lowering means will be properlycounterbalanced at all times during the opening and closing of theshutter or door. Q

Another object of the invention :is %to improve the-guidingmeansfor thepanel :plates; another object is to ,provide y'a novel ,.means for:s'tifiening and strengthening the :panel plates; and a further objectis to provide anovelmeans operated automaticallylby the plate raisingand lowering means to locktheshutter or doorwhen the plates thereofarelowered -andto unlock the same when the plates are raised;

The invention residesin the elements and the combinations of'themhereinafter described :and claimed. v

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the invention,

.Figure l is an elevation,partlyilnsection, show- :ing my improvedshutter or door applied lt'o the wall of a building having an openingtherein adapted to beclosed by the door, as seen from the interior ofthe building and showing the door in the closed position. i

Figure 2 is a vertical section, on line -2-'2 of Fig.1, showing parto'fthe operating mechanism and adjuncts; omitting I the bearing for thechain wheel and omitting the-cable from certain places in the spiralgroove of the oable 'receiver.

"Figure "*3 is a face view of the winding receiver for the cables forraising and lowering the door.

Figure 4 is -a horizontal section of the door, on line 3-4 of Fig. l.

Figure 5-is a vertical section, online 5-5 of Fig. 1. V

Figure 6 .is a horizontal section, on line 6-.f6 of Fig. 1, showingoneof the locking bolts and associated parts.

Figure 57 is a vertical section, showing the pockets in one of the angleplates for receiving the projections on the panel plates {of the door.

Referring :to the drawings, .3 designates a building-wall having a dooropening B'therein.

My improved door is arranged to close the opening I8, as shown in :Fig.1 and to be raised to clear the same.

The door comprises *a plurality of parallel, horizontally extending,panel plates '9 which are vertically slidable relatively 'to one anotherto i #open and close the-door, as shown and described in my aforesaidLetters Patent No. 1,7435696.

,The upper plate -9 shown in Fig. *1, or the front pl-ate flazas shownin Fig.2, is securedfto the wall 3 above :the opening ll :and supportsall the door-plates beena-th it when the door is in the closed:positionpor -all but the bottom plate 9* whichi'may rest upon thefloor.

i'Il-he bottom edge portion of each door plate, excepting the lowermostplate 9 is bent to form 1 a rearwardl-yzand upwardly turned flange orhook tu anditheupperedge portion oi'each plate,-exvcep'ting :theuppermost plate -94, is bent to form a forwardly and downwardly turnedflange :or

-"I'l'le:lower. corners:of the plates (of the shutter, exceptingathebottoinplate, each have ablock l2 secured thereto, and each block isprovided with a hookdfi which embraces and is slidably engaged with:the-lateraL-edge portion of the next adj aeent plate forwardly thereof,'so thateachaplatexmay i slide verticallythrough the hooks l3 of thenext zadj'acent rearward plate when the =plates:of .the deer [are raised=.to ithe openposition or lowered to the closedposition, by raising andlowering the r :bottom rplate-QP, :the :top hooks 1 I are successivelywithdrawn from the bottom hooks wlll and the ibottormhooks liftofztheplates successively engage xthe sidell'rooks'rw thereof and;lift'themjinto ithe elevated @position :and "thus successively :add theweight thereof to the bottom plate 9 and, thereafter, when the door islowered to the closed position the top hooks II of the platessuccessively enter the bottom hooks ID, to suspend the plates from oneanother and successively add their weight to the top plate 9 As thebottom plate 9 is not provided with a hook like the hooks H) of theplates above it, the plate 9 is provided with a bottom bar l4 which isadapted to engage the hooks l3 of the next plate above it when the dooris raised or opened.

The bottom plate 9 has two parallel angle bars l5 secured to therespective end portions thereof and these bars I5 are provided withupper and lower guiding rollers !6 which are journaled on pins or studsprojecting from the bars.

These guiding rollers l6 enter the spaces between the parallel, internedflanges I1 of inclined channel bars l8 which are secured to the inwardlyor rearwardly extending flanges I9 of angle plates or bars 20, theforward flanges 2| of which are secured to the wall 3 on the respectivesides of the door opening 8 and form guiding walls for the panel platesof the door or shutter. The rollers I6 are providedwith annular endflanges which embrace the channel bar flanges I! and maintain therollers in proper working relation to the bars. The channel bars l8extend from the top to the bottom of the door, or substantially so, andthey serve to guide the bottom plate 9' and cause it to remainsubstantially in an inclined plane parallel to the bars l8, as shown inFig. 5, in its raised and lowered positions and during the up and downmovements thereof when the door is opened and closed.

, The flanges 2| of the angle plates are provided with pockets 22 forthe reception of downwardly extending projections 23 on the blocks 12,and the projections 23 are adapted to be withdrawn from the pockets 22when the plates of the door are raised, and to enter the same when theplates are lowered, the same as illustrated and described in the saidLetters Patent No. 1,743,696.

The flanges 2| follow the vertical inner surface of the building wall 3,and the channel bars l8 diverge upwardly and rearwardly with respectthereto and are set at the proper angle with respect thereto to move thebottom plate 9 away from the wall 3 when it is raised and toward thesame when it is lowered to permit the panel plates to nest back of oneanother when the door is raised or opened and to cause the projections23 to enter the pockets 22 when the door is lowered or closed.

The pockets 22 are arranged above one another in vertical series on therespective sides of the door opening 8, and the rearward wall of eachpocket 22 which faces the channel bars l8 rearwardly thereof extendsparallel to the bar l8 to engage or be in close proximity to the forwardsurface of the panel plate adjacent thereto when the door is closed, asshown in Figs. 2, 4, 5 and 6; and the movements and positions of theplates 9 are guided and controlled at all times by the plate 9 and partsof the guiding walls 2| and the engagement of the hooks or flanges I0and H with the bodies of the plates 9, so that each plate 9 remains inand moves through a plane of its ownwhich is parallel to but spaced fromthe planes of the plate 9 and the adjacent plates 9. This control of thepositions and movements of the plates 9 causes them to be packed inclose and firm relationship between the plate 9 and the walls 2! whenthe plate 9 is raised to open the door; and causes the projections 23 tobe acterbalancing cable 36.

curately guided into the pockets 22 in direct lines when the plate 9 islowered to close the door, and lends firmness and rigidity to the entiredoor structure at all times.

I shall now describe my improved means for raising and lowering and forcounterbalancing the door.

A sheet metal housing 24 is provided at one side of the upper portion ofthe door and it is secured to and supported by one of the angle plates20 and a horizontal angle bar 25 which extends between the two angleplates 23 at the respective sides of the door and along the top of thefixed door plate 9 and is suitably bolted or otherwise secured theretoand to the wall 3.

This housing 24 supports bearings 26 in which a short horizontal shaft21 is journaled on the outside of the housing. The outer end portion ofthe shaft 21 has a grooved chain wheel or pulley 28 secured thereto andcarrying a depending endless chain 29 adapted to be operated by hand toturn the wheel 28 and thereby turn the shaft 27. The side of the angleplate 29 adjacent to the chain 29 is provided with a suitable hook 30with which a link of the chain may be engaged for a purpose hereinafterexplained. The shaft 2'! has a bevel pinion 3| secured thereto andextending through a wall of the housing 24 to-the interior thereof. Theportion of the pinion 3| within the housing is in mesh with a bevel gearwheel 32 which is located within the housing and has a hub portionextending axially into and secured to a rotatable part or receiver 33for the door raising and lowering cables 34 and 35 and the door coun-The gear wheel 32 and the cable receiver 33 are adapted to be rotated asa unit on roller bearings 31 which surround and are supported by asleeve 33 which extends between opposite walls of the housing 24 and.which is secured thereto by a bolt extending" through the sleeve and thehousing walls.-

It will now be understood that the gear wheel. 32 and therewith thecable receiver 33 may be retated in either direction by operating thechain 29 by hand to turn the pulley 28 in either direc- 1 tion.

The cable receiver 33 is provided with two doe. peripheral, parallelgrooves and 4| whose bares or bottoms are concentric with the turningaxis of the receiver, and the upper ends of the door raising andlowering cables 34 and 35 extend into these grooves 40 and 4| and aresecured to the bases thereof, at 42 and, respectively, as shown in Figs.2 and 3. 'The cable 34 extends downwardly from the receiver 33 and hasits lcwer end portion attached to an angle bracket 44 which is securedto the bottom portion of one side of the bottom door'plate 9 The cable35 extends from the receiver 33 to and over and down one side of agrooved guiding pulley 45 to an angle bracket 46 which is secured to thebottom portion of the side of the bottom door plate opposite to the sidethereof to which the bracket 44 is secured, and the lower end of thecable is attached to the bracket 46. The guiding pulley 4-5 is rotatablysupported by a bracket 41 which, in turn, is supported by the upper endportion of one of the angle plates 23 and the horizontal angle bar 25.

The widths of the grooves 43 and 4! are substantially equal to orslightly in excess of the diameters of the cables 34 and 35 therein,and, when the chain 29 is operated by hand to turn cable receiver 33 inthe direction of the arrow in Figs, 1 and 3, the cables 34 and 35 willbe wound and secured to'thexa'ngle platex-Zii at theadjacent I withinttheir. grooves '40 land #4 l iandiup'on theireoeiver 13 3'. andiuponthemselves ainspiral form ito raisefthe bottomi door plate-19 anditherebyrcause it to -rai se the door plates-aboveIit and thus raise :oropen i-the :door as previously 'explained. When the chain 329 .isoperated byrhand to turn Ithe.'cable reoeiver333 in -the directionreverselyofthe arrow in' Figs. =1 and 3, the 1 door :will he i closedcountei bal-aneing ':cable he, "one end I of which .is

secured orattachedrto the receiver at OIlHEaITthG i high ipoint of thegroove, and,= whenithe door. is .in theddown or c losedpositiomithecable ilfiaextends "froin' the 'highpoint l of l the groove-1$ spirally through the same to or nearzthe low :point .513 thereofiand, from the lowgpointidil, :t'hercable $5 extends ifrom thereceiverlffi ito sand jover rand down one side :of .a grooved:guidingpulleY which ro'tatably supported .by the fbraclzet M. The endportion :"of the cable extending "down from the pulley 52 is attachedtoa counterweight i5-3'iwhich iss-adapted'itoibe lowered andraised withina vertically-extending, surrounding guard "or enclosure (:54 which is:formed of sheet :metal side "of i-the-:door.

'The .gravity action of the weight :53 on the,

cable '36 "causes it to-tend to turn the cable receiver in the directionof the. arrows l in Figs. '1 and 3; and' thus ithe weight :53 serves asacounterbalance forthe: plates ofithe. door. W hen the doorlisin thedown#orvclosed position, the

*cable 336 extends from or 1 near. ithe low 1 point .56 "ofthespiralgroove l ltothepulley 52, and the 'counterbalancing effect. of theweight 53: is sufiioient to :counterbalance the weight-of :the bot:

tom do or plate s and permitithe chain 123 :easily to "be operated 'toturn the oable receiver in "the direction of the arrows in Figs. fl and-3 "to raise the bottom plate; and, whenlthevchain 29 'is I operatedto'turn I the receiver i in the directiengc f said =arrows, theLcableizii'fi is unwound from.

the receiver-"33 and the weight 53'is-thuspermitted to descend-withinthe guard :54 while the cables 34 and $5 are wound upon the 1 receiver33, and

-' this re'lative cable unwinding and r winding operationtakesplace'during the-'entireraising orv opening of the door. "'lhegradual :recession of the spiral groove #9 from the axis of the receiver'33 "between the low and. high I points 50 and :5 I ithere'o f,respectively; causesthe gravity pull of the weight 53 to progressivelyincrease its counteri'b-alancing effect upon the door plates as the-plates9 1 above i the' bottom of plate 9 successive ily addtheir-weight thereto 'during the door openpcrt the 'door plates.

wlfromi-a position at :or, near :the high :.p oint .25 l of :thesspiral:groove 4'9 z'to :a :position at or near the .lowz point Liiilrofitheagrooveliil soithat the gravity pull ef the weight .53 progressivelydecreases its -:counterbalanoing effect. upon 1 the door plates, in:accordance withlthe rweight thereof, as the plates asuccessively addtheir weight i to the I top, J fixed 'plateliii, and-the plate i 9 is,relieved of the weight rof theup-latesr fi successively, during the doorclosing operation.

' il'hegradualxre'cessio-n of the spiral groove i from the :axis ofthe-receiver33 between the low 'fi-Hd highlpintS 50 and thereof,respectively, iiss'ozrelatedio the-panel plates of the doorandtowthesmovementsthereof during the door opening and. elosing-koperationsthat the door will be properly and uniformly counterbalanced in allpositions of the fpanel plates thereof for the even andiuniformoperation of'the' opening and closing :mechanism.

The angle bars i5 at the respective sides of the bottom panel plate 9carry locking bolts 55 whichcare slidable in sleeves '59 secured withinopenings inthe bars, as shown in detail in Fig. 6. The sleeves'59ezitend into the channel bars" l8 and the bolts fivfi are adapted tobe projected topositions'beneath blocks 55 secured withi'n'the channelbars when the door is down min the closed position. The bo1ts'55 areurged toward the looking position; by springs'El, which encirwcle thebolts'within the sleevesbetween shoul- =dersformed onthe boltsandinturned end flanges onthe sleeves. lhe inner ends of bolts Eli havelinks or yokes 58 securedthereto through which the doorraising andlowering cables 34 and 35 .extendat the'respeetive sides of the'door.

After the chain 29 is operated to turn the cable receiver33 in adirection=revrsely of the arroWs'in- Figs- I and 3 to lower'the door tothe closed position, a-slight additional pull is exertefd' upon thechain after the door'is' completely "closed and the cables 34 an'd35nolonger sup-. This additional pull raises the counterbalancing weight- 53slightly or produoes a strain upon its oable sfisuificiently to producea slac'kness in *the cables 3 and 35, and i this slackness permits thesprings "51? to pro-ject the bolts 55 into the locking position"beneaththe blocksfit. After-the-bolts 55 have been projected into thelocking position, the chai'n ZS isengagedwith the hook 3i? to support'the weight '53 and thus preserve "the slackn-ess *in the-cables 34 and35 and permit-thesprings 5! to hold the bolts inlocking position.

When it is desiredto raiseor open the door,- the =ehain'-2 9 is-first-disengaged from the hook 3'0 and-the'Weight-ES is permitted to draw the:cables 34 and "35 taut, and as they are thus drawntaut they withdrawthebolts 55, against 1 the action of the springs 51, from the lockingposition beneath the blocks-56. Thisdoneythe chain 29 may be operated,as previously exiplained to turn the cable receiver 33 to raise'or'open'the'door.

The upper. an'd lowerlongitudinal edge portions of each panel plate9have supplemental plates 6i! and 5!, secured to thebent portionsthereof which'form the hook fianges I I1 and iii thereof, respectively.Thesesupplemental plates 65 and "5! extend longitudinally of the panelplates 9 and substantially parallel to the hook flanges H and I 0thereof and they-extend outwardly i-from the panel plates on oppositesides of the: plane of the body thereof and form stiffening 'fianges N52and 63 which strengthen the panel 75 plates and preserve the parallelrelationship of all parts of the plates and the hook flanges thereof. Itwill be observed that the hook flange and stiffening flange of eachlongitudinal edge portion of each plate 9 are located one on one sideand one on the opposite side of the plane of the body of the plate, andthat the stiffening flanges of the respective edge portions of eachplate are located on opposite sides of said plane, and that the hookflanges of the respective edge portions of each plate are located onopposite sides of said plane. This construction permits the bodies ofthe panel plates and the stiffening flanges thereof to nest togetherwith the plates back of one another and the flanges above and below oneanother when the plates are raised to open the door.

The bottom plate 9* also has a plate 60 secured to its upperlongitudinal edge portion and providing a stiffening flange 62 the sameas the plates 9 above it.

I claim:

1. The combination of a frame structure having an opening therein, ashutter including a plurality of vertically movable plates constructedto be supported by one another and to be raised and lowered when one ofsaid plates is raised and lowered, means operable to raise and lowersaid one of said plates, guiding bars at the respective sides of theshutter, and guiding rollers journaled on said one of said platesadjacent to the upper and lower ends thereof for engaging said bars oneabove the other said one of said plates supporting the remaining plateswhen raised and being prevented by said rollers from tilting relativelyto said bars.

2. The combination of a frame structure having an opening therein, ashutter, including'a plurality of vertically movable plates constructedto be supported by one another and to be raised and lowered when one ofsaid plates is raised and lowered. means operable to raise and lowersaid one of said plates, inclined channel bars at the respective sidesof the shutter for guiding said one of said plates, and guiding rollersjournaled on said one of said plates and extending into said channelbars and maintaining said one of said plates substantially in parallelrelation thereto.

3. The combination of a frame structure having an opening therein, ashutter including a plurality of vertically movable plates constructedto be supported by one another and to be raised and lowered when one ofsaid plates is raised and lowered, means operable to raise and lowersaid one of said plates, channel bars located at the respective sides ofthe shutter for guiding said one of said plates and each having parallelspaced flanges directed toward each other, and guiding rollers journaledon said one of said plates and extending into the spaces between theflanges of said bars, said rollers having annular flanges for embracingthe channel bar flanges.

4. The combination of a frame structure having an opening therein, ashutter including a plurality of vertically movable plates constructedto be supported by one another and to be raised and lowered when one ofsaid plates is raised and lowered, means operable to raise and lowersaid one of said plates, guiding bars at the respective sides of theshutter, parallel angle bars secured to the respective sides of said oneof said plates, and

, guiding rollers journaled on said angle barsand engaging said guidingbars.

5. The combination of a frame structure having an opening therein, ashutter including a plurality of vertically movable plates constructedto be supported by one another and to be raised and lowered when one ofsaid plates is raised and lowered, means operable to raise and lowersaid one of said plates, and a locking device for said one of saidplates automatically operated by said means to release said one of saidplates when said means is operated to raise the same and means tooperate said device to lock said one of said plates when said means isoperated to lower the same.

6. The combination of a frame structure having an opening therein, ashutter including a plurality of vertically movable plates constructedto be supported by one another and to be raised and lowered when one ofsaid plates is raised and lowered, means operable to raise and lowersaid one of said plates, said means including a cable drawn taut whileraising and lowering said one of said plates and having a slacknesstherein when said one of said plates is in the lowered position, alocking bolt carried by said one of said plates and connected to saidcable and adapted to engage a part fixedly related to said framestructure to lock said one of said plates in the lowered position, and aspring urging said bolt into locking position, said cable when drawntaut withdrawing said bolt from looking position and said springprojecting said bolt into locking position when said cable is slack.

7. An elongated shutter or door panel plate having one of itslongitudinal edge portions bent to form a hook flange wholly on one sideof the plane of the body of the plate and having a longitudinallyextending supplemental plate secured to said bent edge portion outwardlythereof and extending outwardly therefrom on the opposite side of saidplane and providing a stiffening flange.

8. An elongated shutter or door panel plate having a longitudinallyextending stiffening flange and a substantially parallel hook flange oneach of its longitudinal edge portions, said flanges of each edgeportion being located one on one side and one on the opposite side ofthe plane of the body of the plate, the stiffening flanges of therespective edge portions being located on opposite sides of said plane,the hook flanges of the respective edge portions being located wholly onopposite sides of said plane, said hook flanges being formed by bentedge portions of said plate, and said stiffening flanges being formed bysupplemental plates secured to said bent edge portions outwardly of saidhook flanges.

9. The combination of a frame structure having a door opening thereinand guiding walls at the respective sides thereof, inclined guiding barsrearwardly of and spaced from said walls and diverging upwardly andrearwardly with relation thereto, a shutter for said opening including aplurality of vertically movable plates extending between said walls andsaid bars and constructed to be supported by one another and to beraised to an open position and lowered to a closed position when one ofsaid plates is raised and lowered, and means operable to raise and lowersaid one of said plates, said one of said plates having elementscooperating with said bars to guide and maintain it in all its positionssubstantially in a plane parallel to said bars, and the remaining plateshaving cooperatingparts guiding and maintaining each of them in allpositions thereof substantially in an inclined plane parallel to butspaced from the planes of adjacent plates for movement toward and fromsaid guiding walls.

10. The combination of a frame structure having a door opening thereinand guiding walls at therespective sides thereof having pockets thereinspaced one above another, inclined guiding bars.

rearwardly of and spaced from saidwalls and diverging upwardly andrearwardly with relation thereto, a shutter for saidopening including aplurality of vertically movable plates extending between said walls andsaid bars and constructed to be supported by one another and to beraisedto an open position and lowered to a closed position when one ofsaid plates is raised and lowered, certain of said plates havingprojections adapted to enter certain of said pockets when the platesare, lowered and to be withdrawn from said pockets when the plates areraised, and means operable to raise and lower said one of said plates,said one of said plates having taining each of them in all positionsthereof substantially in an inclined plane parallel to but spaced fromthe planes of adjacent plates for 1 movement toward and from saidguiding walls.

HENRY M. VE'ITERLEIN.

